A Second Chance
by Kat-the-Echidna
Summary: When it comes to your life, there is no such thing as a "second chance." But when you suddenly wake up as a Zorua with only a little bit of your memory intact, you start to wonder if that's actually true...
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Taking a slight break from _Why Is It Always A Kiss_ because I wanted to take another attempt at a "morphing" fic since I have grown a liking for them. Also, after acquiring a Zorua a few days ago that a friend of mine so graciously traded to me (I couldn't get it otherwise, and that left me heartbroken since Zorua is my favorite Pokémon next to Glaceon), this little idea came to me as I played through Pokémon White with Zorua on my team. Hopefully this will be better than my other Pokémon story, but I don't have that much hope for it.

Well, it's here for those who want to read it. So, enjoy (hopefully)!

* * *

_I know we've only known each other for a short time, but it shouldn't have ended like this...My only regret is not being there sooner when you needed me the most...back when it all started...the whirlwind of our journey that was selfishly cut short._

_No words could ever express how grateful I was to have ever met you. I will never, ever forget the short time we have been friends, and I know you'll never forget our time together either. There was so much we could've done, could've went, and could've become...Now, we'll never be able to experience those times again. Fate has torn us apart, both physically and spiritually. Maybe...maybe if we had never met, we wouldn't have ended up like this..._

_No...that's not true...It's not your fault, nor is it mine. We were both reckless, inexperienced...we thought we could take on any challenge that came our way, just to prove that we were somebody in the world. But our desire to prove them wrong costed us dearly...It should've been just me...not you...but you were willing to go with me...You stayed by my side even as I slowly began to fade away...That bond we once had, it will always be there, even though I'm gone._

_..._

_I know. No, don't say anything. I understand. You wouldn't have done it if you didn't care about me. And I deeply appreciate everything you've done for me during our adventures. I just wish it didn't have to end so abruptly...And...you didn't deserve what they did to you. You're such a great person, and I'm so glad I met you...I have no regrets, none at all. Not when it comes to you._

_Oh, look! You're ready, finally. Think of this as my gift to you, for being my most precious, irreplaceable, invaluable friend, and I will never be able to meet another person like you. I just wish I could go with you, but, sadly, I can't. But, I will still be there with you, in spirit, and in your memories. _

_Listen, I gotta go, ok? I don't know if we'll see each other again once I leave, though...But the connection...it's...beginning to diminish quicker than what I expected..._

_B-be good, ok...? M-maybe if...they'll allow me, we...could talk...again..._

_Well...it's time...You...enjoy your...new life...If any...one...deserves it...it's...you..._

_Good...bye..._

* * *

__**Prologue:**

**Reborn**

"Owch...owww..." My head was spinning, and the world around me was upside down for some reason. Sunny, blue skies, tall trees, green grass...At least my eyesight was fine. It took me a few seconds before I realized I was somehow upside down. I wiggled around a bit before I fell over on my tummy, which made the spinning in my head worse. I groaned and lied there until the dizziness went away, and I was able to see that I was actually sitting up against a tree while on my head. How I got here in this position is beyond me and...

"Holy...jeez, since when did trees become so huge?" Well, they were. They were way bigger than me, that's for sure! The one I was in front of right now...I'd say it was at least ten stories high or something like that. But it was odd...The trees looked to be at a normal height, and I suddenly felt small...

"Weird," I murmured, before I attempted to stand up, but it was difficult because I was so dizzy. But, I somehow manage to stay on my feet. I looked around, only to see that I was in some sort of forest. It was hard to determine what kind of forest I was in, though. There was a lot of grass, flowers, trees and whatnot. The air was warm; it had to be early summer. And by the positioning of the sun it had to be late in the morning. Still, how did I get out here in the first place?

I was feeling pretty clueless at this point, so, with nothing else better to do, I went over to the tree and looked up at it, trying to see just how high it was. It was pretty high; I'm not even sure if I could even attempt to climb this thing without falling and breaking something. I just wondered why it seemed so big suddenly...

Humming a little, I backed off the tree, then paused. I had my hand on the trunk while I was examining the height. Except, my hand wasn't a hand. Instead, in its place was a small red paw...

I gasped, stumbled away from the tree and ended up falling on my back. I couldn't stand on two legs anymore, but I was able to see another set of red paws where my legs and feet should be, and a tail that shouldn't even be there. Besides my paws, I was covered with slate gray fur, when it should have been just plain exposed skin. I panicked, rolled over and stood up again. And, just like I figured, I could only walk on all fours instead of two legs.

Something was VERY wrong here...I'm a human! But it looks like...it looks like I was turned into a Pokémon!

Panicking, I started running in a random direction. i didn't know where I was going, nor did I really care. I just needed answers. Where I was going to get them? I didn't know. But I needed to so _some_where, and find out something about this phenomena. Well, actually, finding out what kind of Pokémon I actually turned into would be a start. But the only way I could do that is if I had a mirror or something...

Wait, water is reflective, isn't it? There should be a river, stream or lake somewhere in this forest. I'll just have to find one and look at myself. Now having a new motive, I slowed down my pace so I wouldn't tire myself out too quickly. I kept heading in that same direction, until my new hearing picked up the faint sound of running water towards the west. I headed in that direction and kept a jogging-like pace until the sound grew louder and louder. It rook a few minutes, but I did manage to reach a river. I was panting a little, so I decided to just walk over to it. After a few steps, I was directly in front of it. I peered over into the water, and the despite the fact the water was running, I could see my reflection clearly.

Instead of having a human teenager girl face, it was replaced with a slate gray fox-like face. I had red eyelids, as well as red circular "eyebrows" over my of hair, i had a large whorled scruff of fur tipped with a red coloration on my head, and a black fur collar round my neck. I eyes were a teal color, and instead of pupils, i had a white slit where the pupils should be.

I recognized that face immediately; Turns out I somehow turned into a Zorua. Why and how? I had no idea. Nor did I know what I was going to do from here on out. I was a human at one point; I _know_ I was! But now that I think about it...my memory is suddenly blank. The only thing I could really remember is that I was originally a human, my name and the fact that I had a Zorua of my own when I was still a human. I know it sounds cliché, but hey, there was nothing I could do about it.

Y'know, thinking about it some more, it would be an even more cliché if I met another Pokémon who wants me to join some sort of team, and we go on these adventures. My memories slowly come back and it turns out that I'm like, some sort of hero that had to be turned into a Pokémon, and me and my partner had to stop the world's oncoming doom. But when the world's saved, I gotta leave or die or something and I leave my partner behind, but I come back because I couldn't leave my partner alone.

...That sounds like a video game I played once.

Bah, whatever. Now's the time to focus, not dwell on how dumb this sounds.

"This makes no sense," I mumbled "Where the heck am I? Why was i turned into a Zorua?"...Why do I suddenly sound like an idiot by asking myself dumb questions? Urgh...

Alright, let me get my priorities straight here:

I'm a Zorua now. I can come to terms with that (somehow).

My memories are somehow erased, except for the fact that I was a human, my name and my own Zorua. I can accept that.

I'm suddenly smack-dab in the middle of an unknown forest with no means to protect myself against the elements. I don't know how, but I'll manage.

I have absolutely no idea on what to do, where I can go, and how I can go about finding out why this happened to me in the first place. That, I had a problem with.

Yes I'm a Pokémon, but if I had to battle, I wouldn't know how to fight back since I'm stuck in an unfamiliar body. Big problem there.

And for all I know, I probably won't survive the first night on my own until I can figure out a way to defend myself in a matter of hours. I don't know how I'm going to do that.

So, looking at what I had to deal with, it was safe to assume that I was pretty much screwed. Unless I'm still one of Arceus' children, and I still have some purpose on this Earth, he'll see to it that I'll survive the first night. But I'm not going to hold my breath; not even our almighty Father and Creator can stop Mother Nature. I guess I truly am alone from here on out...

"Might as well start walking..." Well heck, I had to do _something_! I couldn't just sit there all day, feeling sorry for myself, and hope that someone would just happen to come by and help me. No, that wasn't gonna happen. Not by a long shot. I guess the first thing I could do is look for some food, drink some water, and test out my new body before moving on.

I took a quick drink of water from the river (better than bottled water, which surprised me) before I headed back into the forest. Looks like I was in for a _long_ walk...

**. . .**

"Well, I'm lost..." Terribly lost, to be bluntly honest. I know I have wasted the last few hours just wandering around aimlessly, and in circles. I knew I was already screwed when I discovered I had turned into a Pokémon and came to terms with that, but getting hopelessly lost in a virtually unknown forest was a bigger kick in the teeth.

Though, as bad as the situation seemed, I have been using this time to get used to my new body. For instance, my hearing is more acute, meaning that I can hear thing I normally couldn't when I was human. Plus, my sense of smell is enhanced, so I can smell so much that i couldn't before. I could smell a Pecha Berry tree off in the distance, I could still smell the water from the river I was at, and I could clearly smell the grass beneath me. It was almost refreshing being exposed to all these new scents and sounds. I have yet to figure out how to use an attack, but it should come to me like instinct if this isn't a dream or illusion (see what I did there? I'm a Zorua, and they're known for illusions. Get it?...I'll stop now) that I had to wake up from.

_Guuuuuuurrrrrrrggggllllllee..._

Oh great. I was hungry. That shouldn't be too big of a problem though. I could smell a multitude of fruit-bearing trees off in the distance. I followed my new and improved nose to the first tree, which held the Peacha Berries. Unfortunately, when I got there, the tree was like the others; They were too big and I couldn't climb up it on my own. Great...

"Hopefully there's an Oran Berry bush around here or something I could reach..." Sniffing around some more, I bypassed some more fruit trees, which contained most of my favorite fruit, much to my annoyance. Took em a while, but I did find a fruit bush. Unfortunately for me, the only thing I could find was a bush full of Cheri Berries. Ugh...I hate Cheri Berries. They were sour, they make my stomach hurt, and they leave a bad taste in my mouth.

And yet, in a time like this, I couldn't afford to be a picky eater. It was too bad, but I was going to have to eat them to satisfy my hunger. They were gross, but I ate a few of the berries one by one (it felt so weird eating fruit that I usually rinse off before eating. I hope I don't get sick from this), and I had to force myself to eat them. If i had it my way, I would've gotten one of the apples or Pecha Berries.

"I'm never eating these again...eww..." If I'm lucky enough to find another food source I could reach, then yes, I will never touch another Cheri Berry again. But I needed to put _some_thing in my stomach, so I just had to deal with it.

I dug my head into the bush after seeing a rather large berry in the back. I was inches away from grabbing it when I heard some deep growling and hissing. I paused, only to discover that the noises were coming from behind me. I pulled myself out of the bush and turned, only to see a pack of Liepards glaring at me with their fangs and claws bared. There were clearly agitated at me, but I couldn't understand why. Then it hit me:

I couldn't help but to notice that this area was heavily coated with the Liepard's scent. On top of that, the trees I passed before settling on the bush had claw marks that were similar in size on the trunks. This was the Lipard's territory, I trespassed on it without permission and ate some of their food. I was now their enemy, and they were going to eliminate me to protect what is rightfully theirs. It didn't matter if I was smaller than them, and considered a child. I trespassed, and I was going to pay the price.

But I couldn't let them kill me. I know I wouldn't escape out of this without some sort of injury, but I refuse to die like this. Not out here, not without finding out what had happened to me. I had to live, but I wouldn't be able to fight back. I was heavily outnumbered, and considering that I have not figured out how to actually attack like this, I was screwed. I was going to look like a coward, but if it would help me live, then I have no choice.

I fled.

I ran as fast as my little legs could take me. I was scared - no, **terrified**. Death was virtually chasing me down, and if I made one wrong move, I was as good as dead.

I could hear the Liepards hissing and yowling angrily behind me, but the sounds were so close it was as if they were breathing down my neck! The forest had turned into a blur of green and brown. Driven by fear and the will to survive kept me going. I jumped over logs, dodged what I believe was a Shadow Ball from one of the Liepards, weaved through trees and fought my way through tall grass. Time seemed to have slowed down - or possibly sped up - as I ran. It could've been a few minutes, or a few seconds, until I had reached a little clearing. Believing that this was the end of the Liepard's territory, and my ticket to safety, I picked up speed and ran straight into the clearing. Unfortunately, my happiness turned into bitter disappointment when the clearing turned out to have a cliff face. But that wasn't all...

It was also a dead end.

"No...No! Please...! NOO!" I desperately ran over to the giant rock formation and began clawing at it, with tears beginning to develop in my eyes. I heard the Liepards come into the clearing, and they were just as angry from when I first encountered them. But I could hear a slight change in their voices. They were still angry, but also excited. Their prey was cornered and practically given to them. They were closing in, claws drawn, fangs bared, getting ready for the sweet victory of being able to kill the trespasser.

This was it...I was going to die...Now I'll never be able to find out what happened to me and why I turned into a Pokemon...I backed myself up against the cliff and curled into a ball, bracing myself for the oncoming pain, and eventually death.

A larger Liepard that was covered with scars was the first to approach. He was scowling deeply, with anger burning in this eyes and fangs bared. He was just a few feet away from me when he suddenly crouched, getting ready to pounce. The lesser Liepards in the back were hissing and meowing with excitement, eager to see their leader disembowel and utterly maim the trespasser, and possibly get in on the fun.

At this point, I accepted my fate. The only thing I didn't like was that my death was going to be very painful...This was _not_ the way I wanted to go out; falling prey to a pack of Liepards had to be one of the most gruesome ways to die. But there wasn't a thing I could do...

The leader Liepard took a few more strides towards me, while his minions spread out, making escape impossible. By some sort of miracle, I had stopped myself from shedding a tear. i had no reason to cry anyway...In just a matter of seconds, it would all be over...All my question will go unanswered once I die. All of this was for nothing...

The leader was upon me now, and he raised his paw, getting ready to cut me open with one swipe. I covered my eyes with my paws, and as a last ditch effort, I pleaded to the sky.

"Please! Somebody! _**HEEEELP!**_**"**

* * *

**E/N:** Crap ending, I don't care what you people say :/

Quick note: This has nothing to do with Mystery Dungeon, or the main plot of Pokémon Black or White. And no, the protagonist is not going to become some sort of hero that has the save the world later on. It's strictly a romance and friendship fic that becomes a bit depressing close to the end. Also, I'm debating on whether or not I should have humans throughout the fic or none at all until the very end. I will most likely decide on that by the first chapter, but it's still up for debate. Or, you guys can tell me your opinion in a review (IF you so wish you leave one).

I know I missed a few mistake, but now with Proofread Writing installed, finding them should be a problem. But if I still miss a few, I apologize and will go back to correct them.

Thanks for reading! If you like it, great! I hope you'll keep reading it! If you don't, then I would greatly appreciate you just clicking the Back button and look for a better story to read other than leaving a long drawn-out rant/flame about how this could be better and whatnot. Trust me, you'll do us both a favor (not trying to sound mean, mind you).


	2. Saved

**A/N: **I wanted to post this sooner, but due to some computer problems, as well as getting ready for yet another request story for a friend, this had to be put on hold. On top of that, I struggled quite a bit with this chapter, trying to make it as readable as possible for my fellow Pokémon/Zorua fans out there.

By the way, for those who are wondering, anything written in italics means that you're reading the person's thoughts. Just wanted to put that out there.

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

**Saved**

Cornered, scared and defenseless, I had to lay there and just wait and watch the leader Liepard gut me until I die. I was terrified...and the worst part is that I'm about to get killed without even learning a thing about what had happened to me and how I gotten here in the first place. Well, I guess that's life. You can't control when, where or how you will die; Nature will decide that for you, whether you like it or not.

And I get the strange feeling Mother Nature doesn't like me at all, since...well...you already know.

The leader Liepard was just inches away, and he was getting ready to pounce. A lot of things were going through my mind, but the one thing I couldn't stop thinking about was the pain. How much it was going to hurt when those claws will rip me clean open. How much pain I was going to have to endure until I will get the sweet relief of death. I guess I'm not as scared of dying as I am of _how_ I'm going to die. I always wanted my death to be painless...Looks like I won't be getting that luxury...

The Liepard suddenly struck fast; his claws went through my fur and cut through my skin easily. His swipe was strong enough to throw me a few feet away from him along the side of the cliff. I couldn't feel the pain due to being dazed at how fast I was struck, but I could feel the little droplets of blood seeping through my skin and into my fur, soaking it.

I tried to get back on my feet to run away, but the lesser Liepards immediately blocked my path and one of them swiped at me with her claws. Luckily, I was able to duck in a nick of time, but I wasn't quick enough to dodge the other onslaughts. I howled and screamed in both fear and pain as they continued to attack, batting me around like I was some sort of rag doll. The world around me just turned into a blur, then into total blackness since I was forced to squeeze my eyes shut and tense up my body to reduce the pain of being repeatedly slashed at. Of course, it didn't work.

After what seemed like an eternity for me, I was suddenly thrown back against the cliff. I hit the rock formation with a thud, and landed back on the ground while wincing and whimpering. It felt like hot coal was being pressed against my entire body, and the feeling of my blood matting my fur didn't help either. I had no more strength left; my legs refused to support my body weight if I had chose to stand back up, and my muscles seemed to have shut down. All I could do was lie there while the Liepards advanced, ready to finish me off. There was no sense of waiting around to watch the finale of my last few seconds of life, so I allowed myself to drown in my own fatigue, and drifted into unconsciousness. Now, I had to wait for death to come claim its latest victim, where I began to wonder if my soul would be sent to Giratina for the final judgement.

The hissing and growling of the Liepards grew closer...only to be replaced with some type of roar, followed by fearing yowling and the sound of some sort of explosions. Before I could open my eyes to see what was going on, I completely blacked out.

**. . .**

_...Am...I dead?...No. I can hear Pidove in the distance, and a voice...A very soft, gentle female voice...Is she a human or Pokémon? Wait...I can hear someone else...The female is talking to the other voice...It sounds male...but I can't make out anything else...it's too far away...Who are they? Why are they here? I need to know..._

"...It's a good thing you got there when you did! She was badly injured..."

"I just wonder why they were so agitated to where they would kill the poor girl..."

"Oh? Oh, look! She's finally waking up!"

"U-urgh..." My head was spinning again, but not as bad as when I first woke up. The first thing I noticed was that the pain was completely gone, and I caught a whiff of two new scents in the vicinity. One of them was hard to describe, but the other was familiar to my own...yet different at the same time. I didn't bother to try to stand and focused more on my vision. I had to blink a few times before my vision cleared to where I could see again.

The first thing I noticed was that I was staring into big, gentle blue eyes. I took notice of the pink and cream colored face, with floppy ears and curls. It was an Audino, a Pokémon like myself. The second thing I noticed was that it was now dark out, when it was clearly daytime when I was last conscious. Was I really out for that long?

"Oh good, your wounds are healed," the Audino (who was the female voice I heard earlier) gushed as she used her feelers to check my heartbeat. "I was so worried when I saw your injuries, but after some rest and a few Berries, you'll be as good as new!"

I blinked. "But...how did I...?"

"I brought you here." Audino turned towards the source of the other voice, which was the male I had heard before. He was a fox-like Pokémon like myself, same colors and everything, but he was larger than I was, and stood on his hind legs. He was my evolved form, Zoroark.

"He heard you screaming while the Liepards were attacking you," Audino explained once she finished my checkup "Luckily, he got there on time before it was too late."

Zoroark approached us, and when I began to open my mouth to thank him, he spoke before I could even get a word out. "What happened? Why did they attack you like that?"

I meekly looked down at the ground while I used my paw to draw a circle in the dirt. "Well...I...I unintentionally invaded their territory while looking for food and...I tried to run away, but they cornered me..."

"It's not your fault," Audino said softly "you didn't know. But Liepards are territorial...you should've paid more attention to your surroundings."

"The important thing is that she's safe," Zoroark spoke up again "I'm glad I was able to fend them off before the real damage was done."

"She's not one of yours, is she?" Audino suddenly asked.

Zoroark shook his head. "No. Her scent doesn't match ours, but she's not part of an enemy pack. It's odd though...she's around my age..."

_That's because I'm not even a Pokémon,_ I thought. Zoroark lived in groups where unity is strong in their communities. They're extremely protective Pokémon and will do anything in their power - even risking their own life - to protect their loved ones, and hold grudges against those who tried to harm them. They even have the ability to creative imaginary scenery to protect their homes...I must've known a lot about Pokémon when I was a human.

I wanted to hear more of Audino and Zoroark's conversation, but then I noticed how exhausted I was. I yawned, and Audino was the first to notice.

"We can continue this in the morning," she said, before moving away some shrubs that was concealing a small den "It's been a long day for all of us, and it would be wise to get some rest."

"Right," Zoroark agreed, before picking me up by the scruff of my neck (which tickled, surprisingly) and went into the den. Audino entered while Zoroark placed me down in a nice little spot near the entrance. I was so tired and I didn't bother moving to another somewhere else and laid there, and let myself go to sleep almost instantly.

...But I could still hear Audino and Zoroark murmuring to each other before I completely drifted off. The only problem was I couldn't hear what they were talking about...

**. . .**

Morning rolled around pretty quickly for me, though it was hard to tell what time it was. The air was crisp and cool, and I could feel the warmth of the sun come into the den, which was enough to get me to wake up. I stretched and yawned, feeling so refreshed that I almost forgot that I was almost killed yesterday. And nearly forgot that I was still a Pokémon. Great.

Now that I was fully awake, I noticed that Audino and Zoroark weren't in the den anymore. Curious, I stepped out the den, only to find Audino outside with a leaf full of berries ranging from Oran to Pomeg. We said good morning to each other, and I asked her where Zoroark had went off to.

"Oh, he'll be right back," she replied, giving me a Sitrus Berry "He's scouting out the area to make sure you won't run into any problems when we leave."

I tilted my head. "'We'?"

"Yeah," Audino smiled "I live with Zoroark's pack and act as their healer for the sick and injured. Zoroark and I are good friends, and I've been living with his pack for years now."

_Interesting._ I didn't know Audino could live among a group of Pokémon to act as their nurse. Unless this Audino was the only one who did that...or was she? Maybe there are some things I don't know about Pokémon yet. Did all Pokémon interact this way?

I wanted to ask more questions regarding that, but Zoroark had returned before I could even form one on my tongue. He told us that it was safe to go, and if we leave now, we could get back to their pack before it got too late in the afternoon. Audino wanted to go ahead by herself, and said we could meet up with her again when we got to their pack. We bid her a quick goodbye before she left, leaving me alone with Zoroark. I didn't like it, since I felt more comfortable with Audino around. Now I felt really awkward just being with Zoroark by myself...

We didn't exchange words at first; Zoroark just led me through some of the journey until he decided it would be best if I rode out the rest of the way in his mane, which was common behavior between a Zorua and Zoroark. So there I was, watching the world go by me as I rode in Zoroark's mane (which was very comfortable, I'll admit). Most of the trip continued like this; we didn't talk to each other for the most part. I guess he felt just as awkward as I did. I didn't like the silence between us, so I decided to make small talk.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"This is Black Forest." Zoroark replied. Black Forest? Of all the places, I end up here? "Why?"

"Just wondering," I explained "This place looked so unfamiliar...In fact, I've never been here before until now."

Zoroark became interested then. "Really? Where did you come from then?"

"..."

Zoroark stopped walking and turned at me, only to see that I was looking towards the ground with an unsure look on my face. I knew he knew that there was something I didn't want to tell, or wasn't sure how to explain, and he ended up coaxing me out of his mane.

"I'm guessing there's something you're afraid to tell me," was the only thing he said, and he was telling the truth. Honestly, how was I going to explain that I'm actually a human while in a Zorua's body? He wouldn't believe it!...Would he?

"I...uh..."

"You're going to have to be truthful to me if you want to be accepted into my pack," he went on "If not, then I will have no choice but to leave you out here in the wild where you might not live for one or two more nights." I've already had a near death experience, and I did NOT want another one.

"But if I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me," I murmured.

"You never gave me a chance." Good point. I sighed heavily, seeing that there was no way out of this until I told the truth. And, to be honest, I really didn't want to be left out here by myself. After what happened with the Liepards, I wanted all the protection I could get at this point. Maybe I would feel better if I actually told Zoroark what was going on...

"Well," I said before I sat down "if you want to know the truth...I'm...not really a Zorua." As I expected, Zoroark gave me a look saying I was crazy, but I held up my paw so I could continue. "This is going to sound crazy, but it's the truth. I'm really a human, but yesterday, I suddenly woke up in this forest in my current shape and my memories erased. The only thing I can remember is my name, the fact that I was a human, and that I had a Zorua as my Pokémon partner. But the rest is a total blank...I don't remember anything else..."

I waited for Zoroark to say anything, but he only gave me a gesture to continue. "There really isn't anything else for me to tell...but if you want to know my name, it's Luna."

Zoroark nodded. "Alright...I believe you." I smiled, and even started wagging my tail. "Though, I'm not sure how we're going to explain this to the Elder when we get home...For all we know, they might not accept you into the pack because of it."

My mood went south for the winter and then some. "S-so...I'll have to fend for myself out here anyway?"

"I'm not sure...but we can't assume the outcome right now. C'mon...we need to get going." I nodded solemnly before I climbed back into Zoroark's mane. He took off once he made sure I was comfortable, and our journey through the forest. We talked a little this time around, but it was mostly Zoroark asking questions about my past life as a human (what I could remember about it, anyway). That conversation didn't last long - about a few minutes - before we went silent. I eventually tucked myself in Zoroark's mane and waited out the rest of the trip, which came to an end when we reached a clearing moments later.

The clearing was full of Zoua and Zoroark; most of the Zorua were running around playing with each other while a few stayed by their parents' sides while the Zoroark were either resting, eating, or looking after their young. After looking around for a bit, I found the Audino from before speaking with a Zoroark that was much larger than the others, had a few scars on his face and had a paler mane. I was guessing that he was the leader of the pack, as well as the pack's elder.

"That's our Elder," Zoroark explained "He's our leader and overseer of the pack. He's very wise and kind, and he determines whether or not we can allow other Zorua or Zoroark into the pack if he trust them."

"So...I'm going to have to plead my case before him, aren't I?"

"Yep. But it looks like Audino's telling him what's going on so far, but you'll have to tell him what you told me. If he sees you're telling the truth, and if you're trustworthy, he'll accept you into our pack. If not..."

"Then I'll be on my own..." I finished sadly. Zoroark nodded, but I could tell that he didn't want me to be left alone out in the wild either. I watched the pack with relative interest until I notice the elder had acknowledged our presence. He looked at us, then let out a mix between a bark and a howl at the pack before him. The other Zorua and Zoroark quickly took notice to the call, gave each other quick glances before they began to gather around the elder. Audino looked over at us and beckoned us over, and I began to gain butterflies in my stomach.

Looks like I'll be getting that judgement after all.

* * *

**E/N:** All I have to say is that I apologize for the late update. I've been busy getting ready for back to school, getting my laptop repaired, and trying to fulfill some requests that I have promised a few friends. Gonna try and update this sooner than what I've been doing, but I can't promise anything...


	3. Settling In

**A/N: **I'm back guys!

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

**Settling In**

I was a bit surprised to learn that the Zoroark elder was very kind and allowed me tell my story. At first I thought I would go through some extreme tests of initiation or something, but it just turned out that I only had to tell the full truth.

It was a bit odd, having to tell him that I was actually (or supposedly) a human, who woke up in the body of a Zorua, with no other memory of my human life besides my name and my Pokemon partner who was also a Zorua. I even told them how I was attacked by the Liepards, Zoroark saving me, and Audino looking after me until I had recovered. I could tell that the other Zorua and Zoroark were interested in my tale, but wasn't sure if they could believe the part of me being a human. But that doesn't their decision to believe it or not; everything was based on what the Elder decided.

When I was finished, the Elder looked at me for a long time, as if he was trying to look into my heart to see if I was really telling the truth. After some very long minutes, he eventually decided that my words were ture, and allowed me to stay with the pack for as long as I needed to. I should've known it would happen. And yet, I'm still relieved that I could stay.

The first thing I had to do once I was approved was to get myself acquainted with the other pack members. I figured that getting to know the adults first was top priority, since they had some authority over the younger ones like myself when it came to certain things. The females took a liking to me right away, especially one who had two pups of her own. The males acted indifferent towards me at first, so I decided to keep my distance until they warmed up to me after a while. And finally, I had to get myself acquainted with the Zorua pups...you could imagine how _that_ went.

"Were you really a human?"

"What was it like?"

"Do you really have a human name?"

"Can we have names too?"

"Were the Liepards scary?"

"Did you die?"

Oh, story time's going to be _so_ much fun, I could tell...I don't know how many times I had to keep explaining myself to the pups, but I lost count after four. I was so glad the adults were nice enough to get the pups to back down so I could take a quick breather. I managed to find this nice shaded spot near a tree and laid there for a while. Who knew talking could be so exhausting...

"Tired?" My ear twitched, and I looked up to see the Zoroark who saved my life (I could recognize him by his voice).

"A little," I admitted "I think my own story has been burned into my head...I've told it so many times now."

Zoroark laid down next to me, making sure to get under the shade himself. "...What will you do now?"

My ear twitched again. "Hmm?"

"Are you staying here or leaving?" I could tell he wasn't trying to be blunt, but it just ended up sounding that way.

"W-well, what choice do I really have?" I murmured, being slightly caught off guard from the question. "I don't know how to survive on my own, nor do I know where to go or who to seek out if I left...I have no choice but to stay here with you all." It was true; you already saw what happened with the Liepards, and that's just the beginning. There are so many wild Pokémon out there - some more dangerous than the Liepard pack - and since I'm not used to this body yet, I will most likely end up dead on the first night. On top of that, even if I did manage to get past the other Pokémon, I wouldn't know how to navigate through this forest. And it's hard to tell if there was a city or little town anywhere in the area, so I was screwed either way.

It was a harsh reality, but I'm fortunate enough to accept it.

"Understandable," Zoroark nodded "There are safety in numbers, and you still need to rest up from your last incident." He paused for a moment, clipping the blades of grass in front of him while looking thoughtful. "But you don't have to stay with us forever, though. I know you want to find answers as to why you are in your current state."

"I can only leave when - or if - I recover enough of my memory to know what or who I need to find to get my answers. But the odds of that happening are slim to none..." I yawned and stretched, and absent-mindedly climbed back into Zoroark's mane. I don't know why I had the urge to do that, but I could only guess that it was an instinct written into all Zorua when they're around their evolved species. Luckily for me, Zoroark didn't mind. Plus, it was really comfortable and warm in there. So comfortable in fact, that I actually started to nod off a bit. I haven't realized how tired I actually was until now. I can't necessarily count the first night since the only reason I fell asleep was for the simple fact that my body had to shut down in order to recover from my near-death experience. But this was an actual feeling of sleepiness. I felt so comfortable and safe with Zoroark - and the whole pack - to the point where I knew I could rest easy here. It's that same feeling you get when you're at home, tucked in your bed under the covers, feeling the warmth and security you feel when you're in your own home when getting ready for bed.

Home...What I would give to go back, or at least remember what it was like. I wonder if my parents were worried about me, if I had any friends or siblings who felt the same way, and how long I've been gone. If only I could remember who those people were and where they lived, so I could have an easier time discovering who I was back then. But that also brings up the question as to why I transformed into a Pokemon, and why my memory was wiped out in the process. Was it because the human Luna no longer exists in this world? Or is it something more?

Thinking about it wasn't going to help me, and I think my body knew that too. My mind became blurry as I dozed off, allowing myself to let go and succumb to sleep. And at least now I could safely say that I know I will be able to wake up the next day without fear.

**. . .**

_"What is that creature doing in here?!"_

_"I...she was injured and I wanted to -"_

_"I don't care what excuse you have, take it back where you found it!"_

_"But Papa -"_

_"NOW!"_

**. . .**

"Poke! Poke! Poke-poke-poke!"

"Urgh..."

"C'mon sleepyhead! It's morning!" Groaning, I slowly opened my left eye, only for it to burn slightly when I felt the sun's rays hit it. My internal clock was telling me that it was still early; probably six or seven, no less than eight in the morning. If it were up to me, I would've slept in, but that's hard to do when you have a kid poking and yelling in your ear. On top of that, I was in a middle of a dream (I think) when the kid decided to come by. So now I can't remember what it was about...Talk about annoying.

"Okay, okay...I'm up..." I mumbled, yawning and stretching before sitting up. My eyes had adjusted to the light, and I managed to open them, only to see one of the Zorua pups from yesterday. It was one of the younger males; he was no more than a few months old. I remember him because he was one of those pups who kept running around my feet (well, paws now) when I first came. He's very rambunctious and full of energy. On top of that, he had this habit of poking any and everything foreign. It was cute at first, but now it's getting a little irritating.

"Hi!" he squeaked "Let's play."

I made a face. "I just got up, so I don't really have the energy to -"

"RAWR!" The pup suddenly leapt at me and bit my ear, causing me to yelp and stand on all fours. It didn't hurt - it was no more than a little pinch - but he did it so suddenly that it caught me off guard. He started pulling at my ear while making slight growling noises, prompting me to grit my teeth and pull back. I was always up for a game of tug-o'-war, but not when one of my body parts has to serve as the object being tugged.

"Let go..!" I growled. The pup didn't hear me - or chose to ignore me - and kept tugging. Now I was getting really annoyed. I bared my teeth and prepared to give him a bite (just a nip on his paw or something to tell him I wasn't kidding around) of my own when I was finally saved from the pup's iron jaw.

"That's enough. Let her go." In an instant, the pup finally released my ear. Sighing, I rubbed it with my paw, making sure there weren't any scars or puncture wounds anywhere (which there weren't; the pup was too young to give me any major scars). Fortunately, there weren't, so I turned my attention back to the pup, who was looking slightly guilty. I looked over to see that one of the adult female Zoroark coming over. She was the mother with two pups who had taken a shine to me when I first arrived.

The pup's ears and tail fell as he nearly crawled over to his mother, who shot him a slight disapproving look before smiling at me.

"I'm very sorry if he disturbed you," she said calmly "He managed to slip away while I was taking care of his sister." As if on cue, another Zorua pup popped her head from her mother's mane, looking a bit drowsy herself. She yawned while her brother joined her in the crimson fur, but he remained hidden.

"It's okay," I say "he wasn't bothering me." Zoroark gave me another kind smile before she left with her pups to rejoin the other adults, leaving me alone.

Wait...I wasn't always alone. I was with Zoroark (I _really_ need to consider giving them names) last night, right? Where did he go? And how the heck did I get out of his mane without realizing it? Did he move me?

I looked around the group hoping to spot him (I know he's smaller than the other adults), but it was difficult to distinguish him from the other pack members since all of them look the same. Besides his size, I knew his voice too, but I was too far away from the others to hear them directly. I didn't want to go over there and look for him myself since I wasn't entirely sure if the pack had accepted me or not. Then again, I didn't want to sit here looking awkward with nothing to do...I guess I could walk around and explore the area a bit and use it as an excuse...

I stretched one last time before getting up and started walking around. I found a few dens that belonged to the other pack members, the food storage, and the leader's den. Besides that, this place was pretty bland. I saw the pups playing with one another under their parents' watchful eyes just a few feet away. I made sure to keep my distance; don't get me wrong, I love kids, but not early in the morning.

"Awake, are you?"

"Huh?" I turned to see my Zoroark coming over. I felt my tail trying to wag in happiness, but I managed to fight it. Regardless, I was glad to see him again.

"Good to see that you're up," he says to me "I was looking for you."

I blinked. "Really? What for?"

"I have a few things to do out in the forest, but I wanted to know if you would like to come with me." I was going to jump on the opportunity immediately, but I didn't want to seem rude and just leave the pack since I just got here. I know I was going to regret this, but it was the right thing to do.

"Sorry, but I think I'm going to stay here," I told him "I want to get to know everyone more. Since I'm going to be staying here, I thought I should get myself acquainted with everyone..."

Zoroark nodded. "I understand. Getting to know about the other pack members is a must. But always remember that if you need anything, the Elder and myself will be here to assist you."

"I really appreciate everything you've done so far," I said softly "I just wish there was some way I can repay you..."

Zoroark chuckled lightly. "You don't need to. I was only doing what was right. Besides...if our places were swapped, I'm sure you would've done the same thing for me. Now, if you'll excuse me...I'll be off. Be back soon." And then he took off into the forest. Some of the other pack members watched him leave, or were completely oblivious to it. I figured that it was his daily job and it was of the norm around here, so I shrugged it off and started wandering around again.

As I walked around aimlessly, I took a subtle interest in the group of females and their pups near the middle. It looks like they were either babysitting or they were all together for a play-date. I felt more comfortable with the females than I did with the males - besides the Elder - so I decided to start with them first.

I was a little cautious on approaching them at first, but the adult females - and the pups - seemed to have welcomed my presence. I felt more confident and went over to them, and the pups immediately crowded around me and started sniffing at me. It got really uncomfortable, and I guess one of the mothers sensed that, so they called their pups back to them so they wouldn't bother me. The female from earlier was here too, and she apologized for the pups' behavior yet again. She's really nice; I like her a lot. She reminds me of my own mom...if that's what my mom acted like when I was a human. I hope she did.

"I'm not intruding, am I?" I asked them.

"Of course not, dear," one of them replied "You're more than welcome to come here anytime you like."

"Actually, we wanted to ask you a small favor..." another one said sheepishly. Oh boy...I could only imagine what this would be. "I really hope this isn't too much of a burden, but we were hoping that you could watch our little ones while we go out and forge for food."

So in other words, they're asking me to be a last-minute babysitter. Nice. "O-oh. That's not a problem; I love kids."

"We're so sorry to put this burden on you at such a short notice," a quieter female murmured. "But we're short handed when it comes to watching them all."

There's about ten of the little buggers; who would watch them? "There's no need to apologize. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Yaaay!" One of the smaller female pups started running around me like an excited Lilipup. "We're going to have lots of fun!" Soon all of the pups were crowding around me and yipping excitedly. The mothers gave me an apologetic look before they left to join the other foragers. I felt like I became a instant mom of a litter in five minutes.

I knew I was going to regret this...

* * *

**E/N:** Finally...finally updated this! Still can't believe there are some people out there who actually likes it. I like the concept myself, but I didn't think it would go well. I'll do my best to add the next chapters as quick as I can.


	4. The Name Rater

**A/N: **I really wish I could make these longer. Then again, longer chapters take longer to write. I just can't win...

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

**The Name Rater**

Remember when I said I loved kids? Yeah, I lied. I _liked_ kids; I don't like them when I had to watch them, especially when they have so much energy that I can barely keep them still. And I have to watch at least ten of these lil' buggers. I knew I was going to regret not going with Zoroark earlier...I can't handle these guys by myself!

...And they needed names. Like, bad.

It's only been twenty minutes and I'm just about ready to throw in the towel. They were too much for me; I'm already feeling drained and I can't turn my back on them to rest because I fear they may wander off into the forest or hurt themselves while playing. And to make matters worse, they seem to see me as this play thing and they keep biting at my ears and tail while I'm not looking. I really hoped my Zorua didn't act like this...

Luckily for me, I had an advantage. These little guys seem to be fascinated with my little tale of being a former human and kept prying about it every now and then when they're not playing with me or each other. So, like any other tactical babysitter, I used it to my advantage.

"If you all sit still and behave, I'll tell you a story," was all I had to say to get their attention. Soon, all eyes were on me and they started to crowd around me.

"Really?"

"What kind of story?"

"Is it a scary story?"

"Is it a happy story?"

"Will we like it?"

I grinned to myself. "The story I'm about to tell is about a human girl and her Zorua, and they're adventures together." All at once, their tails began to wag and they started chattering excitedly. I shushed them and told them to sit quietly and listen; I didn't have to tell them twice, and I silently thanked Arceus that my plan was working. I waited for a few seconds, making sure each of them were staying in place and behaving while forming the story in my head. Most of it will have to be made up, considering that my memory is pretty much gone - aside from a few minor details - and I wasn't entirely sure if they were my real memories or not. The only thing I could be sure of was that I was a human, and I had a Zorua as a partner. As for the rest, it's either blank or cloudy.

"Now then," I cleared my throat "This tale may be a short one, but it does tell about the events about a trainer and her Pokémon. And it goes like this..."

_There was once a young girl who dreamed about becoming a Pokémon Trainer. She loved Pokémon, and often read books about them so she could learn how to properly raise and care for them when she eventually received her own. There was almost nothing she didn't know about Pokémon, no matter if it were an ordinary Pokémon or a Legendary, she knew it all._

_However, she ran into a few problems; Humans have this...system where children can only become Trainers at a certain age. In other regions, the starting age for Trainers was at the age of ten. But here in Unova, you'll have to be at the age of fifteen or sixteen if you wanted to compete in the League. Anyway, the girl was just shy of meeting the requirements - only being thirteen - and decided to spend the last three years keeping up with her studies so that she will be prepared for what was to come when she started her journey._

_However, there was a major obstacle in her way..._

_The girl's parents disliked Pokémon, and tried to convince her that becoming a Trainer was a waste of time, and she should be more focused on becoming a lawyer or a doctor. It often came to a point where her parents threw away most of her books and notes about Pokémon away, hoping to get her to steer clear from them. But the girl never gave up; She kept up with her studies behind her parents back, and even enrolled into a Pokémon Academy to be tested on her knowledge._

...This is odd. Why does this feel like de ja vu all of a sudden...?

_It took a lot out of her, but after three long years of hard studying, testing and secrecy, she turned sixteen, and she was at the age to become a Trainer. Then, something happened one day._

_It was a quiet, cold winter evening and the girl was returning home from the Academy. She walked past an alley, only to stop when she heard faint cries coming from inside. Curious, she stepped into the alley and searched for the source of the cries, only to find an abandoned, dirty and skinny Zorua pup sitting in a box, shivering from the cold, close to starving, and had an injury to its leg. The girl was very compassionate, and her love of Pokémon - especially for those who were abandoned - was something to be admired. She knew that her parents would disapprove of this, but she took the little pup into her arms and brought her home anyway. She planned on sneaking her in so her parents wouldn't see, but - unfortunately for her - her parents had been alerted by her teachers that she's been skipping law school and wanted to confront her about it when she came home. And that turned out to be her undoing..._

_When she got home, her parents stopped her the moment she stepped through the gate, her parents stopped her, and immediately noticed the little Zorua she was clutching in her arms. Outraged, her father ordered her to take it back where she got it, but she tried to tell them that it needed help, but he didn't want to hear it. She looked towards her mother for help, but she only turned her back on her. Furious and hurt, the girl ran off with Zorua and never returned for the rest of the night..._

It's so odd...why does it feel like I've been in this situation before?

"That's terrible!" a little female cried, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah! Her parents are mean!" a male exclaimed.

"What happened next?" another asked.

"Well..."

_The girl never returned home after that night. She went to a Pokémon Center to get help for the Zorua pup so it could be healthy again and spent the night there. As she waited for Zorua to come out, one of the nurses went over to her and asked if she was a trainer. When she said she wasn't, the nurse was kind enough to allow her to fill out a few forms where she could get a Trainer's Card and start her journey immediately, since she was old enough to do so. She did just that the next day - after Zorua was better, of course - and after signing a few papers, foraging her parents' signature one or twice, and buying a few supplies, she became a licensed Trainer._

_Now that she was free from the chains her parents had put on her for so long, the girl and her new partner Zorua set out after a few days and officially began their journey. The girl had grown to despise her parents after the confrontation a few nights ago, and didn't bother with trying to get home to get a few things she might have needed. Her new partner was all she needed for support, and the two became instant best friends since they were both alone in the world. This turned out to be the very first step into many adventures and obstacles to come on the road ahead...and their friendship turned out to be a blessing for them both._

"...And that concludes today's story."

"AWWWWW!"

"Already?"

"Why can't you keep going? It was so good!" I had to say, I was quite proud of myself for what I had done. I managed to keep them under control for an hour, and all I had to do was sit here and talk. I actually had a lot of fun telling the story; it almost makes me want to be their babysitter from now on if it means I get to tell them stories.

...Still, something about that whole thing just felt...off, to me. I was making all of that up as I kept going, but it also rolled off my tongue so naturally as if I was telling what had happened to someone I once knew and I was only recalling what happened. Then again...I could be recalling the events of my own past. But I have no memory of this happening - I don't think. But...I DID have this weird dream last night. Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it a "dream;" I just heard a few voices for a few seconds, but they came and left so fast that it's almost like I just imagined it all. It was so hard to tell, and I wish I didn't doubt myself when it comes to this so much.

Anyway, getting back to the task at hand, it was clear that the pups were practically starving for more of the story, but I honestly didn't want to continue it, and I needed something to get their attention and keep them calm until their mothers returned from their foraging trip. But what could I do now...?

Then again...there is an issue I've been wanting to bring up ever since I got here. Might be a good time to test it out.

"Well, since you all were such good listeners," I said, getting their attention again "you all get a reward."

"A reward?" they repeated.

"What kind of reward?"

I smiled. "Do you want names?" Aaannnd cue excited yapping.

"I want a name!"

"Me too!"

"Me first! Me first!"

"No, _I_ wanna go first!"

"Get in line!" I should really start thinking about what I want to say instead of saying things on an impulse. I swear it only causes more problems in the end...Anyway, I decided to go in order from the youngest to the oldest, starting with a meek female who always seem to be in the back of the group (turns out she was a runt of another pack that was abandoned, but was adopted by one of the females) and decided to name her Mayu. Next were the brother and sister pair I met this morning. I named them Amy and Andy. There were three other females, so I named them Gen, Claire and June. For the other four males, I named them Rosco, Terry and Seth.

Once I had given them their names, they started calling each other's names, I guess so they could get used to them, as well as telling each other apart. It took them a while, but they eventually grew used to their names, and were more than happy to tell their parents that they now had names to be identified with. I was a little nervous when their mothers got back; I wasn't entirely sure if they wanted their pups named or not, considering that's more of a human thing to begin with. But to my surprise, they were just as elated as the pups were about their names. In fact, the moms wanted names as well. Word soon spread of the whole naming thing to where it reached the Elder's ears. Then I knew I was in trouble when he heard about it, but it turns out he liked the idea of giving the pack members names. He said it would make them stand out more from the other packs in the area.

So, I was now dubbed the pack's official Name Rater. This meant that if more pups were born or if a Zorua or Zoroark were to join, I would be in charge of giving them their names. I felt honored to be given such a job, especially since I was recently accepted here. It was really cool though.

I started out giving the Elder his name, since he was the one in charge and the one who allowed me to join his pack. I couldn't think of anything clever or creative at the time, so simply named him Eldin, after an area in this game I once played.

The females were next, so I named them Rose, Augusta, Naomi, Petunia, Ellie, Hera and I named Audino Faith. I had fun giving the males their names, I admit. I named them Riccardo, Lucas, Julius, Caesar, Satoshi, Zeus and Giovanni. So now the entire pack had names, much to my relief. Seriously, it gets really confusing when everyone has the same name and look like the other. Still, the Zoroark I talk to hasn't been seen since he left this morning...I wonder where he went?

Anyway, now that my babysitting job was done for the day, I had lunch with everyone. We were fed a mixture of berries, various roots, and some Sawsbuck meat (which I stayed away from. Ick!). The pack members were still going on about their new names, including Eldin. Needless to say, I felt proud of myself for making everyone happy. At least i was able to actually do something worthwhile here.

I finished eating earlier than everyone else - seeing the raw Sawsbuck meat kinda turned me off. I wasn't entirely sure on what to do now; the day wasn't even half over yet and I was already bored. If only I had thumbs again, then maybe I could play some video games or something...I ended up wandering around aimlessly around the area. There wasn't much of interest here, besides the little cave and the various dens scattered around. I didn't feel like being bothered with the pups again today; I know all I did was tell them a story, but keeping ten of them entertained? It's not fun. Heck, my tail is _still_ sore from all the biting and pulling from this morning. There was no way I was going anywhere near them for a while.

"I always seem to find you by yourself whenever I come back." My ear twitched before I turned to see Zoroark emerging from the vegetation I was siting in front of.

"You missed a lot," I said casually.

He raised his eyebrow at me. "How?" I tilted my head at the rest of the pack; he followed where I was pointing at and focused on the other members. Amy and Andy were playing Hide n' Seek, and it looked like Andy was "it" for this game. He kept calling out to his sister while looking through various dens and sniffing around. Augusta and Ellie were speaking amongst themselves, gossiping about Ceasar's supposedly secret affair with a member of another pack, Claire was playing with Naomi and Julius and Faith was checking on Rose's health. I noticed Zoroark's ear twitched several times when he heard the others call each other by their names that I had given them, so it wasn't hard for him to figure out what was going on.

"I see," he said "You gave everyone names while I was gone."

"And Eldin made me the official Name Rater," I told him "So now, whenever we get a new member, I'm in charge of giving them names from now on. I'm honored to be given this task, but I can't believe they trusted me with it after I just got here..." I then laughed lightly. "I guess it was a good thing I didn't leave after all."

"Looks that way. In the meantime..." Zoroark yawned and stretched before he lied down comfortably next to me. "There's still one more member you missed, or is it too late for me to get my name?"

I grinned at him. I was literally waiting for this moment. "You're in luck. While I was naming everyone else, I was thinking about yours."

"Were you?" Judging by his tone, he seemed amused. "And what did you come up with in that amount of time?"

I scratched my ear before climbing into his mane, then poked my head out. "Wes."

"That's all?"

"Well...you look like you could be a Wes to me. I dunno...but I think it's better than what I was going to call you originally."

"On second thought, my name isn't bad. Besides, I don't wanna take a chance and ask what you were going to call me before." We both shared a laugh while lying in the shade, out of the sun's afternoon heat, watching everyone else go on about their business. It grew silent between Wes and I for a while, before he asked "So what exactly did you do while I was gone?"

"I babysat," I shrugged.

"The pups? How'd that go?"

"Dude, I had to watch ten of them. How do you _think_ it went?" I heard him laugh again, which made me smile a bit. I really liked Wes; I don't know why, but I just liked him. He was almost like my only friend at the moment; I felt more comfortable talking or being around him than anyone else here - besides Faith, of course. "Well, it didn't go too bad, I guess. I told them a story."

I heard him hum a little. "What kind of story?"

"Y'know, the story about a girl and her Zorua. Nothing out of the ordinary." I yawned a little before lying down fully in Wes' mane. A nap sounded good right now. I think Wes agreed, since I both felt and heard his breathing slow down to where it seemed like he was asleep after about a minute. I followed right behind him; once I got into a comfortable position, I laid my head on his fur and dozed off just as quickly as he did. I hope he doesn't mind me falling asleep on him, though.

**. . .**

_"What's the matter with you? What's so wrong with me wanting to pursue my dreams?"_

_"Dreams? Associating yourself with those ruffians that call themselves 'Pokemon Trainers' is nothing but a bad influence! You should focus more on becoming something more civil like a lawyer! I didn't waste my money just for the hell of it; you're going to law school and that's final!"_

_"But I don't want to be a lawyer! I know what my calling is and it definitely isn't there! Why do you hate Pokemon so much? What did they ever do to you?"_

_"That's enough! We will not continue this conversation ever again!"_

_"But why can't you understand -"_

_"My word is final!"_

_"...I hate you. I hate you both. I'm going to become a great Trainer one day, whether you like it or not!"_

* * *

**E/N: **I really am liking how this is turning out so far. But I really can't wait until the plot begins to pick up later.

In the mean time the pack members finally have names! I was getting really annoyed with just calling them "a Zorua" or "one of the Zoroarks." Gets confusing.


	5. Inquiries

**A/N: **So. I am an idiot. How am I an idiot? I managed to get the name of the city and forest mixed up. They're actually supposed to be Black City and White Forest, but since I never really got that far in Black or White, I completely forgot. So now the names are inverted and I would have to edit the entire story if I wanted to fix that. Again, I blame my own stupidity for forgetting that vital detail from the game. Buuuut, I'm actually going to have this story stray towards Black 2 and White 2 since I already have a Pokemon fic that follows Black and White's story line. And this way, I can kinda be forgiven about the inverted names. I might as well keep it this way since it's focused more on Zorua and Zoroark...It seems fitting, methinks.

Again, I apologize.

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**Inquiries**

We take advantage of a lot of things when it's always plentiful. Let's make clocks an example; we need clocks to know what time it is, as well as measuring how much time we have before going somewhere, doing something, or how much time you have left before someone comes home. We see them everywhere, and we rely on them, but we never think twice about their importance until their taken away. The reason I'm bringing this up is because I honestly don't know how long I've been here. I lost count after the fourth day, so time has really been passing my me since then. I don't even know what day it is...but if I had to estimate, I can safely say I've been living with the pack for about two weeks.

Can't say my time here hasn't been a complete waste, though. Black Forest is near White City; I don't know much about the place - never heard of it until now, actually - but none of the pack members go near. I guess they're afraid a Trainer might try to capture them. Perhaps they're just afraid of humans. It could be the latter, but what do I know?

I've grown used to the lifestyle of the pack in the past two weeks, though I still can't find it in myself to eat raw Pokemon meat (but from what I know, I'll have to give in eventually; being a omnivore like Zorua, I'll need to consume meat at some point since my body needs the protein). Wes and I have been hanging out a lot too. Whenever I'm not babysitting the pups, I would accompany him on his little patrol outings. His job is to make sure there aren't any outside threats that would endanger the pack, so he does this on a daily basis whenever Eldin requests it. He always come back with the okay, but I'm still counting down the days where something will actually happen around here.

Besides that, I've been living peacefully here. I haven't been too keen on finding any answers regarding my own forgotten past, simply because no other memory has came back to me since I had those weird dreams. I never told anyone this, but two weeks ago, I had these odd dreams. Well, I wouldn't necessarily call them "dreams" since I only hear voices. Two of them, actually. I only had them twice, but each time I had them, I would only hear a girl and a man arguing with each other. I don't know who they are, but they sound familiar to me. I wonder if those dreams could actually be part of my memory trying to come back...I can't tell, but they only came twice, so I don't worry about it all that much.

Now we move on to the present day: Today was one of those days where I could go with Wes and help him on his daily patrols. Well, we _would_ be patrolling if we were more responsible teenagers. Well, we are responsible teenagers, but not right now; we decided to goof off and have a little fun while we took a quick break. We were some ways away from the pack - possibly out of the territory lines - as we rested near a river bank. Wes was snacking on an apple and I was grooming myself while using the water as a natural mirror. I may be a Pokemon now, but that didn't mean I didn't have to worry about my appearance.

I started messing with the tuft on my head, trying to get it into another style beside it just standing straight up. I almost made it go over my forehead when I saw Wes come up next to me out of the corner of my eye. I didn't pay much attention since I thought he was about to get a drink from the river or just sit there and wait for me, but he had other things in mind.

"You know...I've been wondering something ever since we met."

I stopped messing with my tuft and look over at him. "Wha?"

"I've been thinking," he went on "If you have absolutely no memory of your past, then how come you knew that you were a human? How do you know something about yourself if you can't even remember anything?"

That _does_ seem a bit far fetched, I'll admit..."I...I honestly don't know. I just _know_, y'know? It's like this feeling you get or something..."

"It's not that I don't believe you," he said quickly "but that's been on my mind for a while now...If you have amnesia, and have no recollection of anything, how would you be able to know who you were previously? It just seems so...odd..." He shook his head. "Sorry...that's been bugging me for a while..."

"No, I understand," I said "I wonder that too sometimes..."

"Do you just have little snippets of your memory just come to you sometimes?"

I was about say that nothing really comes to me, then remembered something a bit important. Those weird dreams I had a few weeks ago...Could those be a part of my memory?

"Well...I did have these really odd dreams about two weeks ago..."

Wes turned towards me, seemingly more interested in the conversation than before. "Mm? What kind of dreams?"

"Well..." I laid down on my stomach "It happened when I first came here. I had these dreams - two, to be exact - but...the odd thing about them was that it wasn't necessarily a 'dream' persay...I heard voices, but that was about it. I didn't see anything when I heard the voices...it was all blank..."

Wes made a humming noise before asking "These voices you heard...how many were there?"

"Two."

"Did they sound familiar?"

"A little bit...but they don't trigger anything in my memory besides that. They haven't came back since then, but I can't help but to wonder if those people I heard were a part of ym past."

Another pause from Wes. Then he asked "What did they sound like?"

"Umm...it was a girl and a man, and they were arguing both times. But I...I can't seem to remember what the arguments were about, aside from the fact that the man sounded very mean and irritable."

"Still," Wes said "that doesn't mean that these dreams are random. There's a reason why you're having them, but I really do believe that those voices - whoever they may belong to - are the key pieces to solving this puzzle. We just need to find out who they are and why they are connected to you."

"I just wish we had a lead or something to go by," I sighed "Sitting around waiting for answers isn't going to answer anything."

"Neither will wandering around aimlessly." I looked over at Wes, only to see that he was looking at me. "I think that if you could remember a specific location, it could be a very valuable lead to finding out who you were."

A specific...location..."You mean that I need to remember a certain place that I'm connected to?"

"Exactly. Though, I don't think it will happen anytime soon...but it doesn't hurt to wait it out either. Who knows? It could be today, it could be tomorrow, it could be next month...But I believe that time will come sometime soon, and we will get the lead we need to help you recover your memories."

Huh...that's a good idea, actually. All these chains of events start from somewhere, and if Wes is right, I will have to go back to the place that started everything and hopefully rediscover who I am and why I turned into a Pokemon...and what happened to my partner in the process. Perhaps my home town or city would be a good start; after all, that's where the most memories are made. Plus, being in familiar surroundings would help greatly. Still, sitting around and waiting for another clue to appear in my mind wouldn't be a wise thing to do...but I just couldn't leave the pack either. I had no idea where to go - or how to get out of this forest - so I would still hit dead ends anyway. But there must be some kind of way...there must be...

I wanted to keep walking around and see if there was anything here in the forest that would trigger anything. It would also answer the question as to why I was even out here to begin with. But Wes pointed out that it was getting late and we would have to get back home before it gets dark. Mind you, Dark types are perfectly suited to being nocturnal, but I noticed that the pack's structure revolves around an organized schedule to keep everything in balance. So that meant we had to be home and be in bed at a certain time in order to rise early to get things done. Plus, neither of us wanted to miss dinner. Seriously, they are strict with the eating routines. If you're not present to eat in time, you'll be lucky to get a few scraps, or else you'll just have to go to bed hungry as punishment. I guess it's the pack's way of disciplining the rambunctious pups that don't like to listen most of the time.

I hopped in Wes' mane again before he took off. I started thinking about our conversation during the trip; I never thought that a place could be so important to someone who has a bad case of amnesia. Starting from my original birthplace would be excellent...y'know...if I could REMEMBER where I was born! Jeez this is getting annoying...

"I recently found a new den," I heard Wes say, getting me out of my thoughts. "It's this nice little cave near the look-out. It's much bigger than my old one, and I cleaned it out yesterday." And he's telling me this because...? "I get the feeling you're getting a little tired of sleeping outside, so if you're interested, you can bunk with me until we can find you a den of your own." Oh.

"Sleeping outside isn't exactly comfortable," I murmur "And I get cold sometimes...so sure! I'd love to be your roommate."

I think I heard him laugh as he leapt over a fallen log, then said "By the way...I'm going to start coaching you."

I blinked. "Say wha..? What do I need coaching for?"

"You can't defend yourself," he said "And for a Pokemon your age, that's not good. You should have grown accustomed to your new body, so starting first thing tomorrow morning, I'm going to train you so that if I'm not around when you run into trouble, you can at least fight back." Great...even though he's right. "You don't even know how to use your illusion ability, do you?"

I felt my ears fold back in shame. "...No."

"I thought so. We'll start tomorrow at dawn." Oh Arceus, why?!

"I can't wait," I mumbled as I ducked into Wes' mane again. I could've sworn I heard him laugh again, but I wasn't paying too much attention at this point. I would have to go to bed early if I had any hope of getting up at dawn _and_ have the energy to train. Though...I will admit, I'm glad that Wes is the one who is going to be training me and not someone else. Like I said before, I think Wes is the only person here who I can rely on besides Eldin and Faith. And...he's the only one I actually feel comfortable around. I don't know if it's because he saved my life or that he's another teenager...it's hard to tell. Still...I'm ever grateful that I met him. At least I won't have to go through this ordeal alone...

**. . .**

_White. White as far as the eye could see._

_I was cold. My leg was burning. Red leaked down my leg and left stained in the white._

_I was alone. Abandoned. Not cared for. Afraid._

_I wandered for hours and hours, slowly exhausting myself in the bitter cold._

_I saw a bed in a dark passage after wandering for so long. I wanted to sleep._

_I used the last of me energy to get to the bed. It wasn't very comfortable; more white was in it, making it cold and wet._

_I dug out the white and laid there, occasionally tending to the cut on my leg that made the red leak out._

_The red tasted awful, like rusted copper. It made my leg sting more._

_I was hurt. I was cold. I was hungry. I was afraid._

_I was alone._

_So alone_

_And then...you found me._

* * *

**E/N: **I didn't want this chapter to be short, but it was more-so focused around Wes and Luna anyway, so I didn't expect it to be that long.

It took a while to update, but I've been so busy...Hopefully it turned out good enough for you guys.

Still can't believe how popular this is getting with each chapter...Maybe I should write more people-turning-into-Pokemon fics. Eh...who knows?


	6. The Village of Black Tree Hollow

**A/N: **Guys, I'm just letting you know this now; now that I have a job and have to work everyday, I can't necessarily update most of my stories as quickly as you want me to. And I'm having a bit of trouble with this one because I'm trying to make this long and space it out to where the plot can properly develop and not shoehorn or throw everything in at one point. I want this story to be at _least_ twenty chapters; I think longer stories are the better ones, since they can slowly build up to a climax, plot twist or cliffhanger.

That being said, I find this story a bit difficult to update on a regular basis since I'm the kind of person that constantly - and I mean CONSTANTLY - change, alter, revise or completely scrap chapter ideas if I feel they won't contribute to the story and make it go in a completely different direction than what I intended. I had to learn this the hard way when I published some of my older stories back when I first joined the site, and that's something I'm trying to improve, reason why I'm taking my time to plan out chapters rather than jump in and write down the first thing that comes to my mind. I really hope you all can understand this, since it's popular with a lot of you out there. It's not that I don't want to update - I have a blast writing this and I'm elated that people actually like it- but I would much rather be on the safe side and not rush it; It would completely ruin the story and all the hard work I put into it. I really hope you guys can forgive me in that aspect.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

**The Village of Black Tree Hollow**

Stiff muscles. Heart pounding. Fur matted with sweat. The occasional muscle cramp. And exhaustion...just a couple of things I've been feeling after another full day of training. Wes has been working me hard for the last two or three weeks, making sure that I could fully utilize my power and ability shall the need arises. I learned what my move set was the other day too; Fury Swipes, Bite, Fake Tears and Odor Sleuth are the moves I can use at the moment. I even learned how to use my illusion ability. Granted, I can only mimic the shapes of other Pokémon; I'm not powerful enough to manipulate my surroundings just yet. Wes said I might be able to do that when I'm close to or fully evolved (if I'm still a Pokémon by then). Regardless, the training's been proving useful. I'm a bit faster and agile than I once was, and I've been relying on my other senses - such as smell and hearing - more than I used to. I can only hope that I will be able to hold my own when I have to fight one day...

...Unfortunately, that day wasn't today. The pack has been oddly quiet for the last two or three days; even the pups have been playing quietly and didn't need my assistance. And this was one of the rare times where I wished they did; I was bored out of my _mind_. I was lying on my back under the shaded tree - it became my favorite spot ever since I came here. All I could do was just look up at into the trees branches and count the leaves. I lost count at least three times so far, and I've been bored enough to start over again. I finally got fed up and stopped after I counted exactly one hundred and forty-seven leaves in the tree. I stretched and yawned before rolling to my side and sighing.

"Okay, I can't take this anymore," I said out loud "I'm bored."

"'Bout time one of us spoke up," I heard Wes murmur. He was lying flat on stomach with his chin on the ground under the same, looking as bored as I was. This turned out to be our favorite spot for lounging.

"Seriously, there's nothing to do today," I continued "And I actually _want_ to babysit the pups right now - at least it'd give me something to do!"

"We have days like this on occasion," Wes said "It's one of those calmer phases where everyone's at ease and just lying around. I'm not one of them, though...I can't keep sitting here wasting the day away."

"You and me both," I groaned. My eyes happened to look up to the sky; The sun wasn't as high, so it must be late in the morning. "It's still early...we might be able to find something to do to keep us occupied."

"Hm...we _could_ go exploring."

"Yeah?" I hop into Wes' mane and poke my head out soon after. "Where can we go?"

"The forest - where else?" was his reply before he stood up, stretched, and immediately went into the shrubs. I told him that we should have told someone we were leaving, then Wes explained that the other Zoroark (mostly the males) have a habit of leaving the pack for a while then coming back later in the day. There has been occasions where they were gone for two or more days, but nothing major. I was relieved to know about that - at least now we could find something interesting to do for the rest of the day...

**. . .**

I learned something today; besides Deerling and the occasional Sawsbuck or Buffolant, Basculin is also part of Zorua and Zoroark diet. Naturally, humans also eat Basculin - not only are those little buggers partners, pets, popular to fish for and the usual aquatic nuisence, they're also a local delicacy for us Unovans. Personally, I preferred mine grilled and/or fried with a side of either fries or bread and a little bit of lemon juice. They're also prime prey targets for most predatory Pokemon like the Purrlion, Rufflet, Oshawott, Axew, Druddigon, Deino, and a few other evolutionary lines. The Zorua family isn't an exception; the pack I'm with treats the fish like how humans treat a Sunday dinner - they only feast on them at certain times during the month. At least two or three members from the pack go out to the nearest pond, lake, river, or any body of water to catch enough to feed the other members before bringing the fruits of their labor back to the others. Wes happened to be one of those hunt for them, so you could guess that he wanted to show off and even tried to teach me how to catch them after we found this nice little spot by the nearby lake.

Unfortunately, I'm not accustomed to fishing - never had in my human life either. And it really sucked for me because I actually had to get in the water and hopefully grab one of the smaller ones with my mouth. You could guess that didn't go well, and the water was as high as my stomach, so manuvering in the water was a challenge in itself. I tried using Bite whenever one happened to swim near my paws, but I'm usually the one who gets nipped at as my reward. I even tried using Fury Swipes to bat them out the water and onto land, but I miss horribly and just give Wes' face a quick wash. I finally gave up and simply settled for watching him do it; I was a bit jealous, seeing Wes bat them out the water or grabbing them with his mouth effortlessly. We (well, Wes did, mostly) had a small pile of Basculin by the time we were finish, and with both varieties of the blue and red stripped Basculin. Wes was pretty proud of himself.

...So proud, in fact, that he took one of the bigger blue stripped variety and promptly began to eat. As much as I love Basculin, I don't think I could ever be brave enough to actually eat it raw. I had a bad enough time eating Deerling and Buffolant meat raw...eek...In the end, I settled for simply sitting by the water and looking over my reflection. Nothing's change - I still look like a cute lil' female Zorua. I even staring hard at my reflection as if to trigger some sort of memory of how I looked as a human. As I expected, I got nothing, but I _did_ notice something I never did before. Remember the whorled tuft of fur on my head? Well, for some reason it's not sticking straight up like it usually should. Instead it just flopped over like how a girl would style her hair to have a specific shape to her bangs. I tried pushing it back up to stand up straight, but it just fell back over soon after. The whole tuft wasn't like this - there was at least a quarter or third of the fur from the tuft sticking up in its rightful place, but that was it. I wondered why I never noticed this before? Then I began to wonder if this is what my hair looked like when I was a human...it was hard to tell. After staring at it for a while, I actually started grooming it (licking my paw a bit and then rubbing it as if I was using hair gel) ; Don't know what compelled me to do that - I just wanted to.

"Well, we caught enough Basculin to feed nearly everyone else," I said after I was finally satisfied with my tuft "Wanna carry them back?"

"Can't - it's not time for us to have Basculin yet," Wes replied as he tossed one of them back into the water "Besides, there has to be at least two or three of us to carry them back."

"Oh," I said, watching him knock another one back into the water "So now what?"

"We can keep going after I-"

_Chtsssh-chtssiiiisssshh..._

Wes and I paused, ears fully erect and on high alert. I immediately hid in Wes' mane while he instantly whipped around and glared at the shrubbery behind us. He got into the attack position, while growling slightly. I made sure I hid myself from sight, but I was still able to peer through Wes' fur to see everything. I didn't want the Liepard accident to repeat, where both of our lives will be at stake.

Wes' glare never faltered on the vegetation ahead, and his growling grew louder. I didn't want to show any signs of fear, so I remained still and kept watch. The bushes and shrubs were moving and wriggling more as whatever was in it got closer...and closer...and closer...until...

...Another fox-looking creature leapt out of the green and landed in front of us. He shook off the access leaves and grass before looking up at us and blinking.

"Aw, crud," Wes laughed "S'alright, Luna. It's just another Zorua."

"Can't say I was expecting to see my brethren out here either," the pup (well, by the tone of his voice, he wasn't a pup, but an adolesant/teen) quipped. I poked my head out fully to see the kid for myself, only to be in for a pleasant surprise. He was a Zorua, yes, but he was a _shiny_ Zorua.

Shiny Pokemon are considered to be the rarest thing out there, besides the legendaries. You literally have a one in a million - possibly BILLION - chance of ever encountering one in the wild. Shiny Pokemon are differently colored than usual, and they are said to glimmer and shine when you encounter them, hence the reason why they're called "shinies." Shiny Pokemon have captivated people for years, and many go as far as to try and breed. Unfortunately, they always fail to birth a shiny Pokemon, and scientists and professors have yet to uncover why shiny Pokemon are differently colored from the norm, why they're so rare, why they shine when seen, and being able to replicate the gene that gives them their unique color. Shiny Pokemon aren't necessarily considered as albinos, since they very clearly have color pigments in their skin/fur/scales/whatever. A Trainer that is able to catch a shiny Pokemon is respected amongst his or her peers and envied by Pokemon collectors and fanatics across the globe. I could never really understand the deal about shinies myself; Yes, they're rare and pretty, but people treat them like trophies if they ever obtain them. I personally see them as any other Pokemon - they're just colored different than normal.

Now, a shiny Zorua is like a inverted normal Zorua. All the red markings are blue, the blackish-grey fur is lighter, and the teal eyes are now a deep crimson. But for some reason, the fur collar around their neck doesn't change color...Regardless, this little guy lives up to his name as a shiny; his fur looks so sleek and shines in the sunlight beautifully. I was almost jealous that his coat was prettier than mine. _Almost._

"A shiny Pokemon," I breathed before I hopped out of Wes' mane and approached the Zorua "This is the first time I ever saw one up close! And everyone was right - you really do shine and glimmer!"

Zorua snickered its signature mischievous snicker before grinning. "Once again, I captivate yet _another_ being. That has to be a new record by now."

Something threw me off guard about what he said...Yeah, he sounded a bit smug, but he somehow sounded modest at the same time, as if he was becoming self-conscious about the whole concept, but tried to mask the modesty by appearing to have a large ego. I might be wrong, but that's how it seemed to me.

Zorua looked us over again and tilted his head. "Hm...now that I look at you closely...you're not from our village, are you?" Wait, what village?

"No," Wes shook his head "we're from a pack. You must be from the neighboring village I've heard about."

"You bet I am!" he grinned, tail wagging "In fact, we're not too far from it; We live near Black Tree Hallow, the younger counterpart of White Tree Hallow. It's just through the forest and down the east path from here."

"Hold on," I spoke up, then looked at the Zorua "You live in a village?"

"Yeah, I said so earlier," he replied "You seemed so surprised by it."

"Well, yeah," I said "I didn't know there were humans out here." Wes and Zorua looked at me for a few seconds before they started laughing. I glared at them a little, even though it wasn't the kind of laughing that was meant to mock, taunt or humiliate someone. Despite that, I was still pretty damn embarrassed about it...did they know someone I didn't?

"Hehehe! How cute!" Zorua snickered "For another Zorua, you don't seem to know about our villages, do you?"

I was about to say something to that, but Wes beat me to it before I could open my mouth. "Oh. Yeah...about that...Luna isn't exactly a Pokémon, if you want to believe that."

"She looks like any other Zorua to me," Zorua said, walking around me while looking me over. "What's so different about her?"

"She was a former human." Zorua's eyes suddenly grew to the size of small teacup plates as he stared at Wes with disbelief, then look at me for confirmation. I nodded firmly, letting him know that I was dead serious. "If you want further proof, she remembered she was a human and remembered her name."

Zorua looked at me expectantly. "My name's Luna."

"Luna..." he repeated, the nodded. "Alright. It all seems so outlandish, but I surprisingly believe you. The fact that you - a fellow Zorua - didn't know about the villages is clear proof that you are - well _were_ - a human. None of them know about the villages. That and the fact you have a human name."

"I'm curious about that," I say "Zorua and Zoroark live in villages? Like,_ real_ villages with houses and everything?"

"And a firepit," Zorua added, looking a bit smug again.

I grew excited after that. "Really? Can you show me?"

"Of course," Zorua grinned "I'll take you both there, in fact. But in return...you will tell me about how you were a human and now a Pokémon. I'm very interested in that."

"I won't be able to tell much, but I'll tell you what I do know so far..."

Zorua began to lead us into the forest - he and I walked side by side while Wes brought up the rear, letting us talk. "That's fine. Every little bit will be perfect!"

I smiled; I was beginning to warm up to this Zorua quite a bit, just like when I first met Wes. Unlike Wes, Zorua is more lively and exuberant, not something I expected from a teenish Zorua. I guess his fur color isn't the only thing unique about him; he doesn't seem very mischievous like the any other Zorua either (but that could be proved wrong if I'm around him long enough). And I like the fact that he didn't immediately jump me like the pups did when I told him I was once a human. He was calm and genuinely fascinated by it - like the adults - but he looks just like the pups back in the pack...so I assumed he would act the same way. He clearly proved me wrong.

I wasn't entirely sure where to begin with my story, though. I mean, what was there to tell? I had very little information about myself in the first place, besides what I had told everyone else when I first got here. I guess starting from the beginning was my only option at the moment...

"Well, there isn't much I can tell you right now, but I'll start at the beginning..."

**. . .**

"...so I became the official Name Rater of the pack after that. And...well, here I am now." I just finished explaining everything to Zorua as we continued through down the path. We had made it out of the forest, and according to him, we were almost at the village. I spent the traveling there telling Zorua my story, starting from waking up in the forest in my new body, the Liepard attack, Wes and Faith finding me, being accepted into the pack, and so on. There wasn't much to tell since most of my memory has been completely blank about my former life, with the exception of remembering my own Zorua. Still can't understand why I can't remember what happened to it...

"I see," Zorua murmured once I was finished "So you have no recollection of your former life at all?"

"No. Well..." I paused, frowning a bit "I _do_ have these weird moments where I think I remember a detail or two, but then it leaves as soon as it comes, as if it were never there to begin with. So that leads me to doubt if I was truly a human or not, and those sudden instances where i think I remember something about my former life. Then I had those dreams I talked to you about - the ones with the voices. I believe those could be memories trying to resurface, but then I begin to believe they're just dreams...I dunno...I can't determine what's real and what's fiction anymore."

"I personally don't think those are just simple dreams," Wes spoke up "They have something to do with your past...I don't think a Pokémon - or human - would just have random dreams where you can only hear voices. Maybe your brain is trying to bring back those memories somehow...at least, that's the feeling_ I_ get."

"Agreed," Zorua nodded, before he stopped and looked at us. "On another note, we're here."

I looked around, only to see that we were still on the path with the village nowhere in sight. I was about to tell him that I didn't see it, until he suddenly walked forward and vanished whilst the air around him rippled as if it were water. Wes followed him soon after as if it was nothing new, but I could help but to stand there in disbelief. Where did they go? Is this some sort of portal? Zorua suddenly poked his head out of the "portal" with only his head and front paws visible.

"What's up? Aren't you coming?" he asked.

I was utterly dumbfounded. "Um...what...is...?"

Zorua gave me a look before he started snickering again. "Ah right. I keep forgetting that...You know we can manipulate the area around us by creating illusions, right?"

Oh. Well, I felt stupid now. "Ohhh...so this is a..."

"Yep. Now c'mon; it won't bite."

"Shaddap." He snickered again before I followed Zorua through the illusion. Soon I was back on a path, but this path was completely different from the one we were on earlier. For starters, this path was trees lining the outside, making it look like a natural passageway. Zorua led Wes and I through the tree-tunnel until we reached a clearing where the village sat.

"Welcome to the village Black Tree Hollow, you two," Zorua said as he led us into the heart of the village. The village was a large circular area lined with trees with a firepit in the middle and a little watering hole to boot. The trees themselves had dark umber colored bark, and were hollowed out in their trunks. But there were also what looked like tree houses resting on the trees themselves, above the holes in the trunks. There were wooden bridges connecting each tree house, making the other trees and neighboring houses accessible. There were even a few small huts made around the fire pit for those who couldn't claim one of the trees. Overlooking the entire village was a huge tree; It looked like the others with a hole in the trunk, but there was no house on it. Instead, it was replaced with what looked like some sort of bed or seat. The bed was made up of leaves and grasses, and it had a canopy made of leaves and vines above it. There were at least thirty or forty Zorua and Zoroark in the village itself, some were out, others were in their huts or tree houses. I was completely amazed and couldn't help but to look around in astonishment. I didn't think it was possible for Pokemon to actually build an actual village like this! I may know a lot about Pokemon, but I never knew that Zorua and Zoroark could build their own little civilization...Makes me wonder what other kind of Pokemon could pull off something like this as well.

"Make yourselves at home," Zorua said "It's almost dinner time, but we would love to have guests over." He suddenly noticed my face and smirked. "Weren't expecting this, were you?" I shook my head. "Then I should probably tell you that we've been doing this since our species came into existence."

I made a face. "But how come no one documented this? How come the rest of the world doesn't know that you are able to do this?"

Zorua's grin grew wider. "Simple. We don't allow our secret to be revealed to the human world. Granted, we have nothing against humans - in fact we enjoy their company - but we simply don't want them to know about our villages. Just like the others in Lostlorn Forest, if a human were ever to wander into the forest, we simply lead them away with illusions. But if they were to be close by when it's curfew, then we have no choice but to offer them food, shelter, and comfort. But while the human is asleep, we take them back to the forest entrance, and erase any and all traces of their knowledge of the village."

"So that's why we never knew," I hummed "But what happens if a human stays for more than one night?"

"We keep them. Permanently," was his answer.

I was horrified. "Against their will?"

Zorua laughed. "Of course not! Usually when a human stays, it's because they _want_ to. We had a few humans live here with us long ago, and they seemed happy to live with us. 'Course, they died off long ago, and no human has set foot here in the village or the rest of the forest since then. We're not bothered by it, but it would be nice to see one once in a while."

"Interesting," I mused "Wait, you said that there are other villages with Zorua and Zoroark in Lostlorn Forest AND here, right?" He nodded. "Then how come we don't have a village? We just live outside like any other Pokémon..."

"Not all of our groups are made up of villages," Wes explained "Some just enjoy the simpler life of normal Pokémon and are content with just living off the land the way we are." So in other words, I was living with the Pokemon version of hippies. "I've found a couple of villages in the forest and stayed with them a few times, and it's a nice lifestyle. But I was born and raised with the pack, so their lifestyle is the one I prefer."

"Your pack isn't the only group to live that way," Zorua noted "but there happens to be a larger number of villages instead of normal packs. It really depends on how you prefer to live, honestly." He then turned to me. "But this might be the preferred lifestyle for you, Luna. You were a human, after all..."

"Doesn't matter to me," I shrugged "as long as I can live."

Zorua then took us on a tour around the village, showing us the various houses, huts and even introduced us to the rest of the Zorua and Zoroark. They welcomed us warmly, not caring that we were from an entirely different group, which I wasn't surprised by. We decided to keep my secret of being a former human to ourselves for right now; we were only staying for a while, so it would be best not to tell them. Not now, at least.

You know that big tree that overlooks the village? Yeah, that belongs to the village leader. The bed/seat I mentioned earlier was actually his lookout spot where he can get a clear view of the entire village from up there and look over it. The tree is hollow on the inside - obviously - and that's where he goes when he's not looking over the village like some sort of guardian. Wes and I met the leader; He was younger than Eldin, but just as wise and cared deeply for every member in the village. We met the other Zorua next; rambunctious little tykes, just like the ones back in our pack. They wanted to play, but Zorua told them that it wasn't the time. They were disappointed, but obeyed anyway. Speaking of him, turns out he was the village's treasure; The village never had a shiny Zorua before, so they treat him with high regard. Zorua doesn't seem to really care, nor does he let the attention get to him. Naturally, he likes being looked up to by the other Zorua, but he doesn't think he really earned the respect everyone else gives him.

Our tour around the village was cut short when it was time to eat. We gathered around the pit while the Zoroark started to prepare the meals. As if building a village wasn't enough, these guys can actually cook - yes, _cook_ - the meat they gather (which consisted of Patrat and Basculin this time around) over the fire. as if that weren't enough, they were able to craft wooden bowls and plates to put the food on and eat out of. The Zorua - including myself - had to eat the food out the bowls like regular Pokemon since our paws were as developed as Zoroark's. I didn't really care; I was just glad I could taste cooked meat again!

Curfew kicked in soon after dinner; this meant that the village was in a sort of lock-down mode. no one could get in or out until tomorrow when the curfew was lifted, so all we could do now was go to bed. (Our) Zorua lived in one of the trees, so we bunked with him when it was time to turn in; He lived about three or four trees away from the leader's home in the hollowed out trunk below one of the houses. Wes and I made beds for ourselves and spent some of the night talking, but it was mostly between Zorua and I. We kept asking each other questions about the other's life; I wanted to learn more about the villages while he wanted to know more about my human life, even if I couldn't tell him much besides what I already knew. Wes sat on the sidelines and watched us with an amused look on his face. He would speak up every now and then, but he seemed more content on watching Zorua and I. We kept talking until we grew tired and finally went to sleep, but I didn't drift off as fast as the other two. I was still in a buzz about my mind being blown on what I learned and saw today. Seeing Pokemon with the ability to build their own communities right under humans' noses...it was amazing. It had me wondering if Zorua and Zoroark weren't the only ones who were capable of doing this. And if that were true, what other Pokemon could do this as well? Were they here in Unova? Or across the seas in other regions like Hoenn or Kanto? I don't know, and probably will never know. But it was still a cool thing to think about.

I didn't realize how tired I really was until it became difficult to keep my eyes open after staring at the nearest wall for what seemed like an hour. I was kind of hoping that I would have another dream - I really want to find out about my past, and the only thing I have to go by at the moment were these dreams. Yes, they're just voices, but they're the only thing I have to uncover this mystery. I was hopeful, but it's been a few weeks...I may not have any tonight or the other nights to come.

And Zorua needed a name. I'll ask him if he wants one tomorrow...

**_. . ._**

_"I don't care what they say, I'm keeping you and that's that. You're my first friend ever, ya know that?"_

_"Who could be so heartless, though? To abandon you out there with no means of caring for yourself...It's people like that who really piss me off!"_

_"Oh, no, you're shivering...You poor thing, I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to raise my voice. I just care about you. A lot..."_

_"I know, I know, we just met, and I'm treating you like my kid. But you are kinda young. Still doesn't change how I feel about you, though."_

_ "No one will ever hurt you again as long as I'm breathing, and that goes for my pig-headed parents as well."_

_"You must be hungry. I know there should be some food for you to eat downstairs. Just sit tight, 'kay? I'll be right back!"_

* * *

**E/N: **I got the concept of Zoroark having villages from an author named** The Gentleman Xerneas** who has a story called **The Extended Unova Pokémon Guide**. I highly recommend you go check it out if you're a fan of the 5th Gen like I am; It's really good and the descriptions of the Pokémon in the guide is very interesting and gives each Pokemon more depth than what we see in the games and anime. I got his permission before publishing this chapter though, and he was more than happy to allow me to use it. I added the little detail of not all Zoroark groups live in villages and just live normally like other Pokémon if they chose to, just like how people choose their lifestyle.

Anyway, longer chapter this time! It may not be as exciting as the others, but like I said before, I'm trying to space it out. I'm going to try to make these chapters longer so that I can put in everything I want for the time being. Shorter chapters always bugged me...On another note I wanna point out something real quick; I know I pointed out my mistake about getting White Forest and Black City mixed up in the last chapter, but I decided to improvise on that mistake. It will be explained further in the next chapter - sorry guys!

Also, what is it with people and shiny Pokémon? Yeah, they're rare, but that's it; they don't have any godly stats or anything that would make them particularly special besides the odd coloring that rarity. If anything, they're treated like trophies for people to flaunt around going "Harhar, I gotz a shiny and yew don't!" And is really worth using game hacks to get them? I've only had two shinies in my entire life - a shiny Beautifly and a shiny Tentacool - but I didn't get excited or bragged about it. I mean, yeah, I get it, you have a one in a million chance of catching one and you managed to get one. Hooray for you. But is it really worth wasting your time trying to find one? I wasted more hours of my life fishing for a Feebas in Emerald, Diamond, Pearl and Platinum! But I digress; I have nothing against people who like shinies. I just don't think they're worth hacking your game to pieces nor searching through tall grass for hours for one just to have a whole team of 'em or to even have one. That's just me though - you guys do what you want. I still have that shiny Tentacool in my Platinum file, though. Got rid of the Beautifly years ago. and before you guys pelt me with bricks for getting rid of it, I was like eight years old, and thought the thing was different because of its Shield Dust ability. I didn't know!

ANYWAY, I can't promise an exact date on when the next chapter will be up. But I can tell you that I'll begin working on it as soon as this chapter is up. Besides, I gotta think of a name for Zorua...


End file.
